Do you love animals? Have you ever thought about a career as a veterinary assistant? This course, taught by a practicing veterinarian and college instructor, will give you the information you need to prepare for work in veterinary hospitals.

What vaccinations do cats and dogs really need and how often should they be given? What is the best way to control fleas? What do you do if your dog has a cut? What is the best way to deal with an emergency situation involving a pet? This course will answer all these questions and more.

You'll learn about pet nutrition and a variety of health and safety issues. You’ll understand how to treat and prevent parasites, including roundworms and heartworms. You’ll even learn the facts of life, as it pertains to dogs and cats.

You'll explore current thoughts on spaying and neutering, and how to deal with the very emotional issues of euthanasia, pet loss, and how best to assist clients in a time of need.

Special lessons will target specific aspects of veterinary assistant duties. Did you know that a veterinary assistant needs to dispense medications just like a pharmacist? You’ll learn how to interpret medical prescriptions that look like Greek scribbles to the untrained eye.

You'll also understand the hazards of working in a veterinary setting so that you can protect yourself from x-ray exposure, infections carried by animals, and potential damage from teeth and claws.

Veterinary hospitals are small businesses, not just places of medicine, so you will also gain a complete understanding of their economics - how income is generated and where it goes. You will also explore marketing and communication because they are essential factors in making a business successful.

Even if you are already employed in a veterinary hospital, you will find this course invaluable in helping you understand the reasoning behind decisions and recommendations made by veterinarians. And if you're a pet owner, this course will help you better assess the quality of veterinary care your pets receive.

A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when lessons are released. You will have access to all lessons until the course ends. However, the interactive discussion area that accompanies each lesson will automatically close two weeks after the lesson is released. As such, we strongly recommend that you complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

The final exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the final exam has been released, you will have two weeks to complete all of your course work, including the final exam.

Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Jeff Grognet.

Jeff Grognet has been a companion animal veterinarian for 25 years. He was a pioneer in the field of veterinary assistant teaching, developing his first course almost 20 years ago. The overwhelming success of his veterinary receptionist/assistant college courses led him to expand his teaching into other areas in high demand, including pet first aid and alternative medical therapies for companion animals. He practices with his wife at a Veterinary Hospital in BC, Canada. Jeff has published a large and diverse number of articles and is a regular contributing author to several magazines.

“ Absoultely 100% worth every bit of taking this course. Jeff did a great job with the arrangement of assignments and content. I felt the content was very useful and fitting the level of this course description. It more than met my expectations. WONDERFUL COURSE! ”

“ A very worthwhile course for anyone with pets, volunteers at shelters or even a veterinary assistant! ”

“ For me, I had no previous experience with animals. I was never even allowed to have a pet. This course was amazing at teaching me pet care, nutrition, and what really goes on inside the vet office. I feel as though I now have enough knowledge to answer any questions that people may have. I also feel that this course is good for any age...I am 21 and I know I can feel comfortable and smart and not inadequate in an animal working environment! Thanks so much for the course! ”

“ I am a volunteer in a Humane Society no-kill facility and this course has been very helpful for me. I am a recently retired RN nurse practitioner so I have a lot of health care education and experience for people and this course provided a lot of practical information for companion animals. It was a pleasure to take this course. ”

“ I am in my late 40's, and my mom owned a kennel my whole life, until she passed last year. That being said, I was amazed at the things I remember her doing as I read the lessons, but never really knew exactly why. It was so enlightening. I learned so much that made sense to me, now that I am older. The instructor was very clear, and understanding. My final word is, no matter how long you have been around animals, there is so much to learn in this course. Very well worth your time. Thanks for a wonderful job! ”

“ I did a lot of reading on my own pertaining to most of these topics before taking this course. I was surprised by how much more I learned through this course. It took everything I already knew to a greater depth. It also gave me insight into the workings of a veterinary practice that will help my understanding of the decisions and procedures made by my veterinarian and staff. ”

“ I found this course to be an excellent introduction to becoming a veterinary assistant. I feel that I now have a clear understanding of what a career in the veterinary assistant field would entail. I would recommend this course to anyone considering this field. ”

“ I found this course to be very informative and beneficial not only as a pet owner but also as I attend college to become a Registered Veterinary Technician. Dr. Jeff did a great job with the lesson plans, easy to understand, great additional suggestions for more information and quite informative. Thanks for the opportunity to take part in such a great program. ”

“ I love animals and took this class hoping it will help get my foot in the door at a veterinarian clinic. I have learned so much about how to better care for my babies. The course was interesting and informative and very easy to read and understand. I recommend anyone with pets to take this if for no other reason than you love your pets and want the best for them. I'm glad I took it. ”

“ I loved the course I discovered many new things and can better assist clients at the Hospital where I work. ”